Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has initiated a plan to develop the Mirbat Fort as it plans to stimulate the tourism sector by undertaking several projects to attract tourists.

The Mirbat Fort – near the coast of the Arabian Sea – was built to protect the wilayat of Mirbat and its inhabitants, and it eventually became a major tourist attraction in Dhofar governorate.

‘The ministry is looking to partner with the private sector for managing and developing the fort for which a tender has been floated,’ MHT informed through a statement.

Part of the tender calls for investments in the land behind the fort and development of the traditional market in Mirbat, the ministry stated.

The ministry confirmed that the competing companies must submit a study that should include a proposal on how to market the fort commercially and culturally – holding cultural workshops, organising events, and introducing various activities to revive the castle.

‘Competing companies must highlight the architectural uniqueness of the fort and involve the local community in various cultural and social events.’

The Mirbat Fort was built in the 13th century, and was constructed on the orders of Sultan Said bin Taimur for the fortification and protection of the inhabitants of the northern sectors of the region after it was beset by floods in 1948.

The fort covers about 467sqm of land and has a height of 12m.
The first floor of the fort used to have a congregation hall, a prison, and storerooms for food and weapons, while the second floor featured a residential segment for the family of the wali of the region, as well as army barracks for soldiers garrisoned at the fort.

Following the government’s continuous efforts to develop the tourism sector, historical sites in Oman recorded a significant increase in the numbers of visitors – 22,259 in 2020 compared to 7,064 in 2016 – registering a growth of 315 per cent, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Available data shows that the governorates of North Batinah and Dakhliyah have the highest numbers of castles and forts.
The Nizwa Fort received 143,767 visitors in 2019 and 44,047 in 2020.

The Muttrah Fort received 14,781 visitors in 2020; Taqah 4,457; Mirbat 691; Khasab 10,429; Bukha 6,367; Buraimi 1,068; Bahla 11,304; Jibreen 19,977 and Sansilah Fort 1,395.